Donating your body to science

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Rikkitic

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#196187 22-May-2016 13:33

In America there are opportunities to donate your body after death for various purposes, such as scientific or forensic research, as well as donating your organs and tissues for transplant purposes. In New Zealand this kind of thing seems much more limited.

I am not religious and I would like to include such a donation in my will provided it is used for the purpose intended, and not for commercial gain. However, I have no idea what the possibilities in this country are, or even how to discover this information. I also don’t know what I would have to arrange to ensure that a wish like this was properly carried out. Is there anyone who knows more about this and can point me in the right direction? Ideally I would like to have all of my remains used for worthwhile purposes so there is nothing left over to be disposed of.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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#1557337 22-May-2016 15:37

Otago University Anatomy Department accepts donations see http://anatomy.otago.ac.nz/body-bequests

Auckland University https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/en/sms/about/our-departments/anatomy-with-medical-imaging/bequests/faqs.html

Organ donation http://www.donor.co.nz/

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#1557341 22-May-2016 15:46

Good for you, Rik!

bigalow

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#1557410 22-May-2016 17:19

A family member wanted to do that but was told you have to live in Otago or Auckland to donate you body

but dont know about other parts

Rikkitic

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#1557479 22-May-2016 18:04

Yeah, that was what I ran into before when I tried to find out what was possible. I was hoping there was something more. How can this country keep complaining about the lack of organ donations when nothing is done to assist those who actually want to donate? I don't happen to live near either of the designated places. Do I have to move to a more convenient location in order to be able to donate? That is pretty one-sided.

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nunz

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#1557510 22-May-2016 19:43

biggal:

A family member wanted to do that but was told you have to live in Otago or Auckland to donate you body

but dont know about other parts

Not true - our neighbour (chch) donated to Otago School of Med. They are appreciative of all donations as too few people donate.

My wife and I discussed this and will probably be leaving my body to medical science, the problem being I have so much metal in me that they'll never get the box through airport security and I'll probably be arrested for not taking off my shoes and belt and .... :)

nunz

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#1557520 22-May-2016 19:53

Rikkitic:

Yeah, that was what I ran into before when I tried to find out what was possible. I was hoping there was something more. How can this country keep complaining about the lack of organ donations when nothing is done to assist those who actually want to donate? I don't happen to live near either of the designated places. Do I have to move to a more convenient location in order to be able to donate? That is pretty one-sided.

Also organ donations - dont trust people to look at your drivers lic to see if you can donate. Make it really obvious. i believe there is a service you can get with a pendant or bracelet or .... to let people in ER know. time is critical and they dont have enough time to check all drivers lic's of car smash victims etc.

From the OD site:

However, even though this donor information is recorded on the driver licence, at the time of death the family will always be asked if they knew the wishes of their relative and their agreement to the donation of organs and tissues will be sought. If the wishes are not known, the Land Transport New Zealand information can be accessed by designated health professionals. This information can help the family to come to a decision.

Bracelets:

http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Jewellery/NHS-Organ-Donor-Alert-Nomination-Style-Stainless-Steel-Bracelet/9999023847811

http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Jewellery/Organ-Donor-Medical-ID-Alert-Italian-Charm-for-Bracelet/9999350967374

Tatto on the fore head also works.

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#1557525 22-May-2016 20:04

My wife's grandfather wanted to donate his body to science ( to avoid paying for a burial / cremation )

When he passed ( in Auckland ) they have sufficient bodies at that time and he was cremated.

The did tell us that a body accepted in Auckland was not normally used there, it would be shipped to Christchurch or Dunedin as there was less chance of someone knowing the deceased.

Organ donation will only be suitable if you are brain dead, once you pass away you organs start to fail immediately and are no longer suitable for transplantation.

Fantastic that you are having this conversation now so when the time come, hopefully not for a very long time, the family is prepared and clearly know your wishes as family can over-ride your wises about organ donation.

My wife and I are organ donars, except my wife has stipulated that they can not take her eyes.

I know enough to be dangerous

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#1557579 22-May-2016 21:18

Friend of mine studied medicine. Some of the stories....! The one that always stuck in my mind was the intestine skipping rope.

afe66

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#1557582 22-May-2016 21:25

Rikkitic:

Yeah, that was what I ran into before when I tried to find out what was possible. I was hoping there was something more. How can this country keep complaining about the lack of organ donations when nothing is done to assist those who actually want to donate? I don't happen to live near either of the designated places. Do I have to move to a more convenient location in order to be able to donate? That is pretty one-sided.

ehh?!

When you say you want to donate, are you talking about donating your body to science - there isn't really a shortage of people gifting their dead bodies which is why they limit the catchment area for donors.

If you are talking about donating your organs in the event of brain death, well, they will take them which ever intensive care unit you are sitting in. The retrieval teams get into jets and fly to where you are. Realistically you only have to be in a town which has the neccessary intensive care facilities to be looking after you. Not westport.

The issue with people who are brain dead not donating their organs has issues of consent from the family. Cant really get around this easily. There is a significant number of people who still think organ donation is culturally wrong (often the same culture that it benefiting from the organ). Implied consent has been tried in otherseas, but our governments dont want to go there.

If you want to donate organs while alive. ie kidney, part of your liver then you need to contact centres which do this. Auckland does the livers. Kidneys probably Auckland, Wellingon, Christchurch. Makes sense to remove the living donor kidney in the same centre thats going to insert it into the receipient to minimise ischaemic time. Nothing to stop you travelling to where the operation is going to happen

afe66

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#1557583 22-May-2016 21:27

Geektastic:

Friend of mine studied medicine. Some of the stories....! The one that always stuck in my mind was the intestine skipping rope.

I'm calling this an urban myth.

If you did this in NZ, you would get expelled from what ever medical school or university you were in, so fast you wouldnt touch the floor. Also not sure you could to it with embalmed intestines, they are not that flexible or easy to keep hold of.

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#1557613 22-May-2016 22:03

Rikkitic:... How can this country keep complaining about the lack of organ donations when nothing is done to assist those who actually want to donate? ...

Maybe you are getting confused between "organ" donations and whole body donations for student dissections etc. The problem w. "whole body" donations is there is I believe an oversupply of old decrepit bodies for dissections. Think about the cost of preserving transporting disposing etc - apparently some people try to avoid funeral costs by "donating" their old bodies as if the recipients should be grateful whereas one could well regard the matter as a privilege and civic duty and make an accompanying donation of the thousands of dollars which would otherwise be the funeral cost. With organ donations the executors of your will are still liable for the costs of the funeral etc. If you want to be useful and donate your organs, then make sure it is on your driver's licence and that your next-of-kin are actively aware of your wishes because medical staff do find it difficult to raise the issue when the relatives are in a vulnerable emotional state, and find that relatives sometimes defeat the wishes of the deceased (which are not legally binding.)

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#1557633 22-May-2016 23:52

afe66:

Geektastic:

Friend of mine studied medicine. Some of the stories....! The one that always stuck in my mind was the intestine skipping rope.

I'm calling this an urban myth.

If you did this in NZ, you would get expelled from what ever medical school or university you were in, so fast you wouldnt touch the floor. Also not sure you could to it with embalmed intestines, they are not that flexible or easy to keep hold of.

A.

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#1557634 22-May-2016 23:53

I assume you get expelled if you get caught....it was 30 years ago, so no doubt things were more lax.

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#1557635 22-May-2016 23:55

Why would anyone want to dissect embalmed bodies? I had always assumed they'd want fresh ones that presumably bore more resemblance to what they would be working on.

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#1557653 23-May-2016 07:43

lapimate:

Rikkitic:... How can this country keep complaining about the lack of organ donations when nothing is done to assist those who actually want to donate? ...

Maybe you are getting confused between "organ" donations and whole body donations for student dissections etc. The problem w. "whole body" donations is there is I believe an oversupply of old decrepit bodies for dissections. Think about the cost of preserving transporting disposing etc - apparently some people try to avoid funeral costs by "donating" their old bodies as if the recipients should be grateful whereas one could well regard the matter as a privilege and civic duty and make an accompanying donation of the thousands of dollars which would otherwise be the funeral cost. With organ donations the executors of your will are still liable for the costs of the funeral etc. If you want to be useful and donate your organs, then make sure it is on your driver's licence and that your next-of-kin are actively aware of your wishes because medical staff do find it difficult to raise the issue when the relatives are in a vulnerable emotional state, and find that relatives sometimes defeat the wishes of the deceased (which are not legally binding.)

Family aside, the shortage of organs is primarily due to the extremely limited scenarios that can supply them.

Not long ago the only scenario to be able to donate organs (family wishes aside), if you have to be 100% brain dead but very alive elsewhere. That means you must suffer a catastrophic brain injury (natural event or traumatic injury), not die from other causes, be taken to an intensive care, and existing organs are healthy.

All going well you can donate

- a heart

- two lungs

- two kidneys

- two half livers

But usually the process of brain death destroys the heart's suitability as the stress hormones released during brain death whips the heart like a Tour de France cyclist on P.

If you have heart problems to start with well that rules out the heart.

If you smoked a lot well that rules out the lungs.

That leaves - most people donating two kidneys and two half livers.

New scenarios where organs can be harvested are emerging. But still very limited.

Not playing down family resistance however, as that would help a lot. But still nowhere near enough.

Organ printing or stem cell stimulation would be a game changer.

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